Thursday, October 1, 2026
This year’s Board of Education candidates squared off on Monday night at the candidate’s forum, where the three candidates fielded questions ranging from a controversial sixth-grade curriculum, the fate of East School, and what their top priorities will be if elected to the board.
More than 40 residents gathered at City Hall to hear current board President Dr. Dennis Ryan and Vice President Patrick Gallagher — who are running for re-election to three-year terms — and challenger Ari Pine, a Long Beach resident, address concerns by residents. The Long Beach Central Council PTSA hosted the forum.
The candidates tackled a number of issues raised by residents, who submitted questions on index cards and relayed to the to the three candidates by the forum’s moderator.
Questions ranged from the oversight of the $92.7 million district-wide school preservation plan and its related construction projects; the advantages and disadvantages of closing East School, and the district’s implementation of a sixth-grade heterogeneous model in the middle school.
Asked if the sixth-grade heterogeneous model was working in the district and why, Pine said he felt it wasn’t.
“Right now I’m trying to find what the evidence is with regard to the heterogeneous classrooms and what the results are,” he said. “In the absence of evidence, all I can go on is anecdote. There were a large number of parents at the May 5 meeting . . . and I heard a lot of concerns.”
Pine added that he has heard that “children are coming home bored because they don’t have anything to do.”
“By those standards, I don’t view that as a success,” Pine said.
Ryan said that based on talks with numerous parents last week, it would seem the program isn’t working.
“Based on listening to those parents…[for] a significant majority, the program isn’t working,” he said. “I would have serious concerns in terms of its efficacy at this point. There seems to be a need for more discussion.”
Gallagher, however, said based on responses he has received, some have said they are extremely happy with the model, while acknowledging those who are not.
“We do have a concern here that we have a divided response,” Gallagher said, adding that with a new superintendent, middle school principal, and math director coming on board this year, their input would be beneficial.
“I think there’s something to be said about taking some time and making sure,” he said. “I’m a firm believer in measurements; I’m a firm believer in calculating the situation.”
One question that illustrated the positions of each candidate was what each candidate’s top priorities would be if they were elected. Pine, a gold and gold options trader for Prime International Trading, who entered the race on a platform of bringing greater transparency and accountability to the district, said reevaluating the curriculum was his top goal.
“The number one priority is evaluating the curriculum,” Pine said. “In particular, what has brought me into the election and what has motivated me has been the curriculum.”
Gallagher said that a top priority for him was continued fiscal responsibility in the district. He cited the district’s recent proposed 2011-12 budget — a spending plan the board has called fiscally conservative that maintains programs and includes no tax levy increase — as an example. “Fiscal responsibility is an ongoing responsibility and a key responsibility,” he said.
Ryan said his first priority is quality instruction. “That’s our educational mission, that’s why we’re here,” he said. “As a Board of Education, we made great effort to make the [board] meetings focused on educational issues and educational dialogue.”
The school board and budget vote is on May 17.
Comments about this story? CEngelhardt@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 207.
